Olive High Boys, Burnley
Olive High Boys is an independent school for boys aged 11 to 16 in Burnley. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2024.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Olive High Boys in detail
Olive High Boys in its own words
In its own words: "I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you all to Olive High Boys where we endeavour and hope to create confident, compassionate and learned young Muslim gentlemen. At Olive High Boys, we will a offer a safe, happy, and stimulating environment in which we encourage all pupils to become responsible respectful and caring members of the community."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Malik ibn Anas, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “Verily, it is the duty of a student of knowledge to behave with dignity, tranquillity, and reverence, and to follow the way of those who came before him.”"
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include drama and art.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Olive High Boys are Olive High (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding); Rawdhatul Uloom (0.5 miles, Good); Lincoln House School (0.5 miles, Good); and Edenfield Girls' High School (3 miles).
Olive HighRawdhatul UloomLincoln House SchoolEdenfield Girls' High School
Who goes there
In 2026, 0 pupils (0%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Burnley Central Rail Station, about 380 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ormerod Road (outside), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Olive High Boys stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 3rd decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 660 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Olive High Boys is an extremely warm and welcoming school. Pupils are compassionate towards each other and forge strong friendships. They appreciate the care and support that they are given by their teachers. The friendly atmosphere helps pupils to feel safe and extremely well cared for.
Pupils respond well to the exceptionally high expectations that the school has of their behaviour. They are respectful and courteous towards each other. Pupils understand and live up to the 'OLIVE way' of learning. Pupils heartily approach their learning with confidence and resilience. Their positive demeanour helps them to thrive in school.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed a broad and highly aspirational curriculum for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The essential subject knowledge that pupils need to learn is expertly identified and logically ordered. This helps pupils to build on their knowledge securely over time.
Teachers use their exceptionally strong subject knowledge to design high-quality learning activities. The subject content is clearly explained and taught effectively. This helps pupils to make insightful connections between their learning across subjects.
From Ofsted's October 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its October 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby schools
Latest from Olive High Boys
From Olive High Boys's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Olive High Boys
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 50
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 16
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 50 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 16 serious and 33 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
12 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
33%
Available places
114 pupils
350 places
236 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Burnley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Burnley
Across Lancashire council
Places available
14,702
Applications
13,782
Got 1st preference
87.1%
Got preferred school
97.2%
All secondary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
0.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
114
Total Pupils
114
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Olive High Boys
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Olive High Boys
What is Olive High Boys's Ofsted rating?
Olive High Boys was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2024.
Does Olive High Boys meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in October 2024, Olive High Boys met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Olive High Boys?
Olive High Boys has around 114 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Olive High Boys?
Olive High Boys is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Olive High Boys?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 50 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 16 serious and 33 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 12 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Olive High Boys?
Olive High Boys is at Ormerod Road (Entrance Via Shorey Bank), Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 2RU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)